Tigerwulf Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Hi all I did some Dark Earth colour tests yesterday using a few mixes I have found on this forum, a surprisingly wide range of colours it turns out! When I did the tests I thought I would also test with some satin varnish on top of the paint and found that the colours are sooo much darker when the varnish was applied. My question is do people/companies take into consideration the effect of varnish on the final finish of the colour, or have I not applied the varnish or paint correctly?! Tried to upload an image from Flickr to demonstrate but the url kept turning red when I inserted the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, Tigerwulf said: Tried to upload an image from Flickr to demonstrate but the url kept turning red when I inserted the link. if you try to put the Flick link into the 'insert image from URL' if won't work, just paste the BB code link directly into your post. It won't show initially, but will when you reply. You can test the image by just inserting the image, it's in the BB code. Or just post, and then use the edit facilty 5 minutes ago, Tigerwulf said: When I did the tests I thought I would also test with some satin varnish on top of the paint and found that the colours are sooo much darker when the varnish was applied. they should change again with a matt coat. 5 minutes ago, Tigerwulf said: My question is do people/companies take into consideration the effect of varnish on the final finish of the colour, no. But, again, a matt coat will reverse the darkening. 6 minutes ago, Tigerwulf said: I did some Dark Earth colour tests yesterday using a few mixes I have found on this forum, a surprisingly wide range of colours it turns out! I've been trying my own mixes against the RAF museum chip. Surprisingly tricky colour to match. Not impressed with various Dark Earth paints either.... HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerwulf Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) Thank you! Here's the image. I think the satin I have used it quite matt anyway. I am just concerned maybe it was in the application. Tamiya is completely matt and I definitely don't want the aircraft to be that matt. Would you expect the application of the satin clear (vallejo) to have that much of an effect on the paint? Edited June 12, 2021 by Tigerwulf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 8 minutes ago, Tigerwulf said: Would you expect the application of the satin clear (vallejo) to have that much of an effect on the paint? it can have, as the above shows! The mixes are fascinating. Problem is, you don't have (I presume) a standard to match against. But, the chip is a surprisingly complex colour. FWIW, from the photo, 5 is the best, followed by 2, but only from the above pic on my monitor, from memory of the chip, but I have been trying to match that blinkin' chip over the last 2 weeks... I only have some Tamiya paint to play with though. (no XF-52) From what had. I got a pretty close go from XF-49 Khaki :6, XF-62 OD:2, XF-64 Brown:1, a drop mix (ie adding drops to a pallete) i got to nearly identical, as opposed to a syringe mix, of these got really close, the more precise is not quite. I also found I had 2 of XF-61, and they were like different colours.... so that is also something to be aware of...... grrrrr..... I've also been trying vallejo. 70.921, English uniform is very close, but a little too orange.... other in the test outs have been Xtracrylix and AK..... very much a work in progress. At least the Flickr problem got sorted ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerwulf Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) Unfortunately I don't have a chip as you have guessed. It really is fascinating as you say. The mixes are so varied, much more than I thought they would have been before I sprayed them! I am so surprised that the two that I though can't possibly be it, 5 and 2, are the two that you say are the closest! So Dark Earth was quite a sandy colour then? I ended up going with number 4 on my model as I thought I would just split the difference haha I will be sure to post a pic when the model is all done. Edit: just for fun I think I will give your mix a try and see how it compares to the others. Edited June 12, 2021 by Tigerwulf Update on mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steben Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Dark Earth is on my short list. Varnish has extreme influence. Here you can see Belgian khaki mix (Starmer's) with some 2 extra levels of varnish on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I can't agree about 5 and 2 on my little laptop! Nor would I describe Dark Earth as sandy. There is a book that will give you the colour chip, but you could simply buy a tin of Colourcoats and use that, at lower cost (If only buying a single tin of Colourcoats was that simple.) Or look at the colour from the Sovereign Hobbies website on your own monitor. Frankly, to the level of bafflement you have achieved messing about with all these mixes, you could have used a tin of Humbrol 29 and been as close. And people wonder why sticking to enamels seems like such a good idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerwulf Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 Steben it is crazy how different the varnish changes the apparent tone or shade of the colours! I do seem to have found myself down a rabbit hole Graham! I definitely don't remember being this fussed about colours when I painted models with my humbrol enamels as a kid! I have been enjoying using my airbrushes and using acrylics though, so I thought I would try to get an accurate tamiya mix. Seems I have made my life complicated haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steben Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Humbrol 29 is in between US Field Drab and MAP swatch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 2 hours ago, Tigerwulf said: 5 and 2, are the two that you say are the closest! So Dark Earth was quite a sandy colour then? No. It's not. Maybe best described as 'caramel' , a light brown with subtle green cast. It's been driving me bonkers, I need to buy some more Tamiya, and try the mixes. But I don't have a hop nearby, and until this weekend most places were missing certain colours. Mine, was using what I had too hand, and is not quite right, well, the mix made up wasn't, the tester made using drops of paint was nearly the same. Part of it is sheer bloody mindedness, but it is a very interesting exercise seeing how very small amounts of colour can shift a mix. One aspect about Vallejo, a brushed out 'chip' will vary to same colour when slightly thinned and brushed onto a model. 2 hours ago, Graham Boak said: And people wonder why sticking to enamels seems like such a good idea... I just don't like the solvents and clean up, I use acrylics around the house most of the time, and find they work very well. Though I am quite tempted to try some Colourcoats, partly as I'm getting rather put out that the acrylic makers don't seem to be able to match the known standards.... I don't mind mixing, but then it's finding accurate mixes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Use the Colourcoats thinner, It is naptha based and doesn't smell anywhere near as much as Humbrol or white spirit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steben Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 I really really adore acrylics. Simply because I usually spend a lot of time playing and mixing paint. The fast drying time is magic. I used to exeriment with oil paints to mimic old recipes. Never again. Even the Belgian gouvernment was formed quicker. Enamels have the benefit of ease in airbrushes and less elaborate cleaning. But with enough thinner acrylics are just fine. After all it is paint and your hands will get dirty. Water and alcohol based stuff is so much healthier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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